MLB All-Star Game notebook: Rangers praise Bochy, Spencer Strider’s success, Angels talking point
By Kevin Henry
MLB All-Star Game: Angels closer Carlos Estevez was battle tested by Coors Field
Although he was a late addition to the American League roster, Angels closer Carlos Estevez is certainly posting some All-Star-worthy numbers so far this season. Logging a 1.80 ERA/3.57 FIP/1.286 WHIP in 35.0 innings over 36 games and recording 21 saves (tied for sixth-highest in MLB), the 30-year-old right-hander absolutely earned his spot at the Midsummer Classic.
It’s the first season for Estevez outside of the Colorado Rockies organization, a place where he pitched for the first six years of his career. Estevez says that learning how to pitch at altitude and handling the well-documented Coors Field effect has made him a stronger pitcher.
As he explored free agency this offseason and eventually landed with the Angels, Estevez believes that one thing that wasn’t talked about with his resume was how much he pitched in Denver. While people would always ask him about pitching at Coors Field, few would ask him about how he did it for so long.
“I got 300-something outings out there (he pitched 302.0 innings in 321 games for the Rockies). Tell me how many relievers have done out there (he is one of only nine Rockies to pitch in 300 or more games). It’s not a coincidence. It’s not like, ‘Oh you came out of Coors and now you’re good.’ I have been working the right way to stay healthy and get through some things, and that’s one thing that not a lot of people ask me about.”